Building and previewing the site is free. The 14-day free trial starts when the site goes live. No card is needed for that. When the days run out the site goes offline until you subscribe. Current prices are on the pricing page.
Steps
- Confirm the email on the account. Until that is done, Go live free stays disabled and the note is Confirm your email to go live.
- On the website, press Go live free. The note on the button is Go live free — start your 14-day trial.
- The same start is on Settings, then Billing. On the website row the button is Go live free for 14 days. On the Core card it is Start free 14-day trial.
- When it starts, the message is Your site is live for 14 days, and "Subscribe any time to keep it live." Publishing then runs. When that finishes, the message is Your site is published.
The line under Choose your plan says: "Build and preview for free. Going live starts a 14-day free trial — no card needed. Upgrade, downgrade or cancel any time."
While the trial is running, the badge on Billing is Trial: 14 days left (the number counts down). Home shows the same count: "14 days left of your free trial. Subscribe to keep your site live." and a Subscribe button. The free address keeps working. A domain of your own waits until the site is on a paid plan. See your Mortar web address.
When the trial ends
When the days run out, Billing shows Trial ended or Paused. The website button is Subscribe to go live. Opening subscribe shows Subscribe to bring your site back. Nothing is lost. Press Subscribe on Core to open checkout. See plans and changing plan.
If it doesn't work
If the trial was already used on this account, Billing says Your free trial has already been used on this account. The website button becomes Go live – Subscribe, and the note is Your free trial has been used — subscribe to put this site live. The subscribe box says the site needs a subscription to go live.
If another site on the same account is already past draft, Go live free is skipped in the same way. One trial covers the account, not each website.
If going live fails, the message title is Couldn't go live. Nothing has started. Try again in a minute.
If the site is billed by an agency, Billing says Billing is handled by your agency, or Included in your Partner plan when you are the agency. There is no Go live free button on that row. The agency puts the site live.
Common questions
Do I add a card to start the trial?
No. Billing says going live starts a 14-day free trial and that no card is needed. You add a card when you subscribe, to keep the site live after the trial.
What happens when the 14 days end?
The badge becomes Trial ended or Paused. The site is no longer live. Subscribe brings it back — the subscribe box says Nothing is lost.